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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Hi All, I have just posted the following on the UKSMG site and thought you guys would also be interested:

Many of you will be unaware that the GB3MCB beacons comprising beacons for 2m 4m 6m and 70cms are due to be switched off on April 2nd due to lack of funding. Full details of the background to this will appear ina forthcoming 'Six News' but in brief, the Mid Cornwall Beacon and Repeater Group, which has a relatively small contributory user base, has insufficient funds to run all of the transmitters associated with the group. The groups main function until recently has been the upkeep of their 2m and 70cm Repeaters but they have now become responsible for the beacon system also.

From a 6m point of view, the good news is that UKSMG have stepped in to ensure funds are available to allow the 6m beacon to continue. The other beacons are expected to shut down in about two weeks time. It is not within our (UKSMG) remit to directly help fund the remaining beacons however, it would not take a great deal of funding to keep all of these beacons running for the coming year at least, and probably into the forseeable future.

Details of contacts for the group for anyone wishing to help with funding are available here:http://www.btinternet.com/~kevin.francks/GB3NC.htmHowever, it seems to me that a co-ordinated approach by groups with a vested interest in individual beacons (as we UKSMG have done) would be the best approach to ensure the beacons remained active although please note the short timescales involved. As a rough guide, it costs approximately £2 per week per beacon to provide electricity or about £120 per year. A small cost when the benefits are considered